The screen pass is, in many ways, just a glorified rushing play. You move the running back out into space and hope you trap some of the defenders around the los. The Steelers also run a lot of screens to the WR which is also the same principle. One of the guys I was watching the game with commented that he hates when we run the bubble screen to Ward. But the thing is, these plays are almost always successful, sometimes remarkably successful.

i'd just like to see some new plays. whatever it takes to get the ball to willie more, especially in open space.

Almost the entire playbook is new. But there are only so many holes to go through, directions to run, places to throw, pass patterns that make sense. A play might look the same, but the blocking is completely different. And how many different ways are there to go off tackle, over the guard, or around the end?

And how many plays get run in a game? How many different formations and plays can you use that make sense for the score and the time and the down and distance?

Each tight end caught at least one pass Sunday, and 9 different receivers were utilized. Parker got his hundred yards both games; so he's definitely getting the ball plenty. We are using lots of different formations this year; we've spread, we've boxed, we even threw a touchdown pass out of the 3 tight end formation on Sunday.

People forget Bettis got stacked up at the goal line, three straight, his share of times. And Franco. And Rocky, and Bam, and Foster.

Would a 10 yard screen to Davenport have been a 25 yard screen to Parker? Not necessarily. Davenport's presence doesn't signal the possibility of a screen as much as Parker's, which increases the probability of success.

No matter what you do, if it's going to be successful it's going to look like football. We concentrate on putting the plays with best possibility for success on the field based on the situation, and we try to create matchups in personnel that maximize that possibility. If it seems routine, it's because it is; there are no magic bullets, no amazing undefendable plays. Sometimes you just line up your guys and they line up their guys and you hit each other and see who wins, because for that situation that's your best shot at success.

They always seem to run them on 3rd and long or just hand it to the back. And the reason davenport gets them is because hes our 3rd down back. What I would like to see is more screens to wideouts, the screens to hines ward I loved, if they can get heath miller ward and holmes on one side and set up a screen for holmes, that would be lethal.

The reason you see them, by the way, is because were up such a large margin and they are high-percentage throws, so you can get the first down and if you dont, you can milk the clock, win-win situation. You would probably see them less often if we were down

I think the main reason you have people that complain about screens is this:

Many times when the Steelers run a screen play, the down is 3rd and very long.

You see them throw a nice screen play for 10 yards on 3rd and 17 and you think man, why did they run a screen? I personally love the screen play, just for the fact that it gets our RB's out in the open field and able to do some things that they normally can't on a handoff. It is however a letdown when it is run on a 3rd and long play and doesn't get the job done. You have to think of the screen in different lights. It not only makes the defense think about catching FWP out on the edges, but also slows their rush up, and spreads their defense out.

If I have any beef with the Steelers and the Screen play it would be to run it on downs where it may be least expected (short yardage early downs maybe), but I'm not gonna complain when we have started out the year the way we have. I'm sure we'll see some big screen plays to Willie, and Najeh before this year is over.

Almost the entire playbook is new. But there are only so many holes to go through, directions to run, places to throw, pass patterns that make sense. A play might look the same, but the blocking is completely different. And how many different ways are there to go off tackle, over the guard, or around the end?

And how many plays get run in a game? How many different formations and plays can you use that make sense for the score and the time and the down and distance?

Each tight end caught at least one pass Sunday, and 9 different receivers were utilized. Parker got his hundred yards both games; so he's definitely getting the ball plenty. We are using lots of different formations this year; we've spread, we've boxed, we even threw a touchdown pass out of the 3 tight end formation on Sunday.

People forget Bettis got stacked up at the goal line, three straight, his share of times. And Franco. And Rocky, and Bam, and Foster.

Would a 10 yard screen to Davenport have been a 25 yard screen to Parker? Not necessarily. Davenport's presence doesn't signal the possibility of a screen as much as Parker's, which increases the probability of success.

No matter what you do, if it's going to be successful it's going to look like football. We concentrate on putting the plays with best possibility for success on the field based on the situation, and we try to create matchups in personnel that maximize that possibility. If it seems routine, it's because it is; there are no magic bullets, no amazing undefendable plays. Sometimes you just line up your guys and they line up their guys and you hit each other and see who wins, because for that situation that's your best shot at success.

I like the idea of the screen pass but I did not think they were that successful with it for big yardage. It just seems that we are always out of sync on the screen plays. I would love to see them get the ball to Parker in space as he will torch other teams. But it seems like the screens are too easy for the other team to decipher so far.

Great points all. It's also important to realize that along with the draw out of a spread formation, the screen on 3rd and long is a conservative way to legitimately try to pick up a big chuck of yardage with little risk of turning the ball over. If you notice, these calls are always made when we are on our own side of the field. Since the Steelers are always going to play conservatively and depend on superior defense, it makes sense to stick to this gameplan.